Fortuna
by Trottie
Summary: Rachel isn't sure how it began, why it was her who was called upon, and not one of the girls friends. It's her, the loud-mouth, her, the 'Hobbit'. Yet, she knows he has to do it, and she does it without complaint.  M for later chapters I suppose.
1. Chapter 1

Neither one of us could be sure the first day it had happened. I guess one night she had just decided that she needed someone. I still sometimes question why it was me, not one of her best friends, me the underdog, the annoyingly loud one, and not someone she didn't supposedly hate. I still remember her exact words on the first call.

"Rachel...?" She said, voice cracking at the end of the word. Her voice made it so obvious she was crying, I felt immediate concern for her rise up in my chest. The voice that tormented me to no end at school. Quinn Fabray, the ice queen; her cold outer shell was cracking and melting.

"Yes, that's me." I replied. "Are you alright?" Unconsciously, I was diving head first into her with little realization that she could be trying to trick me.

"No. I-I... Can I see you? I need to... Just, ugh... I can't-" I heard her suck in a deep breath, choking into the receiver of her phone.

"...Yes," I manage, for once almost at a loss for words. "Yes, of course, Quinn... I'll be over... Quickly." The phone line beeped, and I knew she'd hung up. I knew I'd go, it was something I had to do.

I knew where she lived; in a small town like Lima, everyone does. It was such a short drive, and I remember getting out and meeting her at the door. I remember how no one else was home; it was just Quinn and I.

I remember her face, the tears.

"Rachel..." Quinn spoke, her voice hoarse. She grabbed my arm and pulled me up the stairs, and I barely managed to shut the door.

When she got to her room, she pulled me inside, and shut the door behind us. We both went over to her bed, and she stared into her lap. Her hand still gripped my arm, and she began to speak.

"I know, you don't like me, and I know I'm a bitch, but please... I need someone to listen." Her eyes were closed, and a few more tears streamed down her pale cheeks. When I only nodded, she continued. "I... I don't even know what's going on. I just feel so fucking _depressed _all the time. I know, when your mom dies that's expected. I know when your father turns into a fucking _drunk ass idiot _who wants nothing to do with you..." She trailed off.

I could only bite my lip, hand reaching up to brush her hair from her face. "I... I'm sorry." I had known her mother, Judy, had died; big news traveled quickly in Lima. "And I know; everyone says that, 'I'm sorry' must make you sick. But... I really am. I know you must have-"

"I know, Berry, I miss her so fucking much. I don't even know what's going on. I just..." Her voice broke again, and she sobbed, her hand dropping off of me and gripping her shoulders. I wrapped my own arm around her tentatively. She looked up, her hazel eyes searching mine, and quickly she looked back at her legs. "I'm so stupid. I never took the chance to care for her; we always fought. I wish I could have said 'I love you' one more time."

I closed my eyes, nodding slightly. Her pain was so real and in front of me that I felt my chest aching. "She was... your mother, and I know she must have meant so much to you, and I know I myself don't have a mother, but... A they say, I feel for you..." I murmured, turning to pull her into a tight embrace. She didn't fight, instead falling slightly limp in my arms. I felt her take a shuddering breath, and she relaxed into me.

"Maybe everything will be ok..." She said under her breath, and I barely caught the words, although I smiled into the crook of her neck.

"I hope so, Quinn." I told her quietly. She nodded, moving again to face me.

"I don't know why I ever thought I hated you," She half-muttered to herself. I couldn't quite hear her, but she was wiping her eyes. "Thanks... You an go, though, Berry. My parents will be home soon. I'm... fine, now."

I could tell she wasn't 'fine' but she was a lot more calm than before. I wouldn't stay if she wanted me gone, so I nodded and got off her bed, slipping out of her house quietly.

When I started my car, I couldn't stop thinking about how she had relied on me. Me, Rachel Berry, the loud-mouthed 'man hands'. She knew I could have hurt her, yet I wasn't at all thinking of that when I helped her.

I began to drive. Eventually I pulled into my house, and I got out of my car and opened the door with my key. When I opened the door, I was greeted by two dads; one who looked like he was pretty upset (Hiram), the other looking relieved.

"Rachel, where have you been?" Hiram asked her, coming forward to hug her. "We tried to call you and you didn't answer!"

I looked at the floorboards over his shoulder, face red. "I was helping... a friend." I replied. When he stepped back hi brows were still pinched. "Ok, but why didn't you answer?" I shrugged, feeling for my phone in my coat pocket. I checked it, noticing it _had _gone off and I hadn't felt it vibrate. "Oh... I guess I didn't feel it, I'm sorry, Dad..."

Leroy stepped in, putting a hand on Hiram's shoulder. "Calm down, Hiram... Rachel, you say you were helping a friend; sometimes that takes up time, yeah?" I nodded.

"It's alright, but next time please tell us before you leave, ok?" He continued, stooping to hug me as well.

"I promise," I answered truthfully. I had forgotten to tell them in my mad rush to go, and I guess they had failed to notice I had left until later. I shuffled my feet along the floorboards, turning to shut the door.

"Well, Rach, it's nine," Hiram said, "We'll be downstairs." He was referring to their bedroom.

Again, I nodded. I trooped up the stairs to my own room and placed my car keys on my bedside table. Without changing into pajamas, I jumped into my bed and pulled my covers to my chin.

I closed my eyes. _Good night, then, Dads... Quinn, too, I suppose. _I smiled to myself, feeling sleep pull me under.

**Author's note: Hey, guys! This is chapter one of I'm not sure how many. I'd appreciate reviews. At the moment I have someone pending to be my beta; if for whatever reason it doesn't go through, I'll let you guys know. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for not updating for a long time! But really, I'm continuing it now. 3**

Sunlight filtered through the window of my room and I opened my eyes to sit up and stretch. I pushed the covers off of me, yawning. I hadn't taken any of my clothes off from the day before, so I stripped hastily and grabbed a skirt and sweater from my closet to put on. I combed my hair neatly and pinned back part of it, licking my lips as I recalled the events from the night before.

Quinn had looked so broken. There was something different, something that had made me want to break, too, and because of this I had forgotten every terrible thing she's ever said to me. All that had mattered was keeping her from falling apart even more. I couldn't help but notice she'd still said "parents", as if she still felt as if one day her mom might come walking back through her door. I checked my clock, its blocky numbers read 7:19. I smoothed my skirt and looked at myself in the mirror.

I was startled as my phone vibrated loudly against my wooden bedside table and I leaned to pick it up. It was a text, the sender of which was the very same blonde who'd been plaguing my thoughts ever since I'd awoken that morning.

_The football field_ _7:45_ –Q

I didn't question it. Instead, I threw on the closest pair of shoes I could find and made sure to tell my dad that I was headed out. He nodded over his paper and blew me a kiss as my papa leaned to kiss him on the cheek.

"Just be safe, Rachel." Leroy called and I flashed him smile.

"Of course, Papa."

The football field, located in the back of McKinley, was about 15 minutes away. By the time I had gotten past the main road, another five minutes, and pulled into the parking lot, it was close enough to 7:45. I figured Quinn would be there anyway.

I walked past the fence and onto the green turf of the field, looking for Quinn. I almost screamed when someone grabbed my shoulder. I whipped around to see Quinn smirking slightly.

"Quinn!"

"Calm down…"

At first glance Quinn had seemed to be as she usually was at school, mouth drawn into a smirk that seemed to taunt me just barely. But as I met her gaze, I realized that the raw pain that I'd seen the night before was still there, hidden behind her HBIC facade.

"Why did you ask me here, Quinn?" I was tentative, careful. I didn't want to come off too loud or false in her eyes. Maybe I wouldn't have, but I figured it wasn't worth a risk.

Quinn averted her gaze for a moment and took a breath, smirk faltering. "I don't really know." Her voice was soft, not harsh, but still clear.

I didn't say anything, only reached to put a hand on her arm hesitantly, and when she didn't yank it away, I sighed softly. She looked up again and met my eyes, took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes momentarily and opening them again. Quinn opened her mouth as if to speak, and I watched as she seemed to struggle to let out something.

A phone began to ring and she closed her mouth, reaching into her jeans pocket. Her eyes widened just slightly as she answered the call and I let my hand drop from her arm.

"Dad? I'm... out. Are you drunk? Dad, please. I-Dad?" Quinn took the phone from her ear. I noticed her were eyes glistening and she turned away from me.

"Quinn, what's wrong?"

"I've got to go."

"Quinn?"

"I can't stay. I have to leave. He's..." She trailed off and I didn't want to push it. I didn't want to push her.

I could only watch as she left me standing, wondering what she was going to say. It hurt to see her upset, but I couldn't do anything. I couldn't move.

When I got back to my house, I walked back up the stairs to my room, only to sit on the corner of my bed. I wanted to think. The call had obviously been from her father, and she'd seemed so distressed... She'd mentioned he'd turned to drinking. What had he said? It had been bad enough to bring her to tears.

The next time I saw her was a few days later, the first day back at school after the weekend. There was something hard in her gaze and when she met me at my locker, checking to see if anyone was paying attention.

"Hello, Quinn." I gave her a small smile.

She wasn't in her Cheerio's uniform, that was one of the first thing I noticed. She had on a long sleeved white shirt, her hair down. She had pants on. It was unusual, I hadn't seen her like that in a long time.

"Hi." Her voice seemed normal enough, but she still seemed off. A lot seemed off.

"Is there anything..." I brought my voice down a little bit lower. "You'd like to talk about? Or anything?"

The look in her eyes softened and she seemed to think about that for a second. Ever since I'd seen her the night she'd called me, she'd been seeming to do that a lot. Being careful about what she said, like she was either scared to say too much or scared I wouldn't be able to take what she was considering saying.

"Actually... Sort of. Just... come with me?"

The way she made it into a question made me feel that she was scared I'd say no. I let her guide me through the flanks of students to the bathroom. Again she took a breath and looked me in the eye.

"Rachel, promise me that you won't say anything about what I'm about to show you."

She _was_ scared. She had a note of desperation in her voice. I nodded.

"Of course. I promise."

She lifted her sleeve and my eyed fell to her arm. I let out a gasp as I saw a few bruises, purple and almost tinging yellow.

"Oh, my God, Quinn... What happened? Did he hurt you?"

She pulled her sleeve back down and wet her lips. "It wasn't his fault. He was drunk. He didn't mean it, not like before." She seemed to realize what she'd said and she averted her gaze, muttering under her breath so that I could barely hear. "Shit."

"What do you mean 'not like before'? He's done this to you before?" I could feel an anger and a sadness and a pain all bubbling in my chest.

Quinn turned to the sink and planted her hands on both sides to push her weight on it as she stared down the drain. "He-No. I mean yes... I... He got so mad when he... It's nothing."

"Quinn, please, it's not nothing. You... You've got bruises, this is serious. He could have hurt you even worse!" I walked closer and put one of my hands over her's. "You're hurt... What did he do to you?" I could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes and one rolled free. I could feel my own eyes starting to sting. I couldn't see her like this.

"Nothing. I mean, he just... hit me. But he wasn't trying to- He was just drunk."

"He could do it again, Quinn..."

She wouldn't look me in the eyes. She had wanted to show me but she wouldn't let me help her. She had made me give my word I wouldn't tell, as much as I wanted to her dad locked up for hurting her, I didn't want her to feel like she'd been betrayed. She needed to get out of that house, at the least.

"Quinn, you can't stay with him."

"I know. But where the hell am I supposed to go?"

"Come with me! Just not with him, please... You have to understand that he's _hurting _you."

Quinn shuddersedas she took a breath. Her arms shook. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"You're right... I need to get out."

"Will you come with me? Stay with me?"

"There's no where else to go."

I watched her and she turned and actually looked at me. I saw she'd stopped crying and the pain was still there, but there was something else. Something hopeful.

**A/N (again): I'm sorry for any feels that may or may not result in drowning. Really. :(**


	3. Author's Note

Working on chapter three! It's supposed to be longer, if possible so I'm working. Just letting you know I didn't disappear.


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